    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [December 1, 2004]
    [Pages 3028-3033]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Halifax, Canada
    December 1, 2004

        Thank you very much. Please be seated. Thank you all very much.
    Thanks for the warm welcome. Mr. Prime Minister,
    thank you, and Mrs. Martin, for a fantastic
    dinner last night in Ottawa. We really loved it. My only regret today is
    that Laura is not with me. She is--went home to
    thank those who have been decorating the White House for the great
    Christmas season that's coming up. I married well. [Laughter]
        I appreciate the Premiers who are here. Premier Hamm, thank you for your hospitality. Premier Lord, Premier Binns, and
    Premier Williams, I appreciate you all
    joining. I want to specifically mention the Premiers because, as an ex-
    Governor, I feel a special kinship to those who--[laughter]--run the
    Provinces here in Canada. But thank you for your service. Ambassador
    Cellucci, mayors, local officials,
    distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to be with you
    today to reaffirm America's enduring ties to your country. I am really
    glad to be in Canada, and I'm really glad to be among friends. I
    appreciate the warm hospitality we've received.
        In the past year, I've come to know your new Prime Minister. We've
    met in Mexico, in the United States, in Chile, and now in Canada. Paul
    Martin is a leader who is asserting Canada's
    good influence in the world. And as I prepare for a second term in
    office, I look forward to a successful working partnership between our
    two countries.
        Paul and I share a great vision for the
    future, two prosperous, independent nations joined together by the
    return of NHL hockey. [Laughter] I told Paul
    that I really have only one regret about this visit to Canada. There's a
    prominent citizen who endorsed me in the 2000 election, and I wanted a
    chance to finally thank him for that endorsement. I was hoping to meet
    Jean Poutine. [Laughter]
        I'm proud to stand in this historic place, which has welcomed home
    so many Canadians who defended liberty overseas and where so many new
    Canadians began their North American dream. I'm grateful for the
    hospitality shown by the people of this fine city who have been so very
    kind to Americans before.
        Three years ago, Halifax and other towns and villages, from
    Newfoundland to Manitoba to the Northwest Territories to British
    Columbia, welcomed, as the Prime Minister mentioned, more than 33,000
    passengers on diverted flights. For days after September the 11th,
    Canadians came to the aid of men and women and children who were worried
    and confused and had nowhere to sleep. You opened your homes and your
    churches to strangers. You brought food, you set up clinics, you
    arranged for calls to their loved ones, and you asked for nothing in
    return.
        One American declared, ``My heart is overwhelmed at the outpouring
    of Canadian compassion. How does a person say thank you to a nation?''
    Well, that's something a President can do. And so let me say directly to
    the Canadian people and to all of you here today who welcomed Americans,
    thank you for your kindness to America in an hour of need.
        That emergency revealed the good and generous heart of this country
    and showed the true feelings of Canadians and Americans toward each
    other. The affection that appeared in an instant will always be there,
    and it runs deep. Beyond the words of politicians and the natural
    disagreements that nations will have, our two peoples are one family and
    always will be.
        We're united in part by the daily contact of commerce, and both our
    nations are better off for it. In the 10 years since the North American
    Free Trade Agreement was enacted, trade between the United

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    States and Canada has nearly doubled. Twenty-three percent of America's
    exports go directly north, and more than 80 percent of Canadians'
    exports go to my country. With so much trade, there are bound to be some
    disagreements. I proudly ate some Alberta beef last night, and--
    [laughter]--I'm still standing. [Laughter] With determined efforts and
    relying on sound science and mutual good will, we can resolve issues.
    Take, for example, those PEI potatoes. [Laughter] Right, Mr.
    Premier? [Laughter]
        Canada represents America's most vital trade relationship in the
    whole world, and we will do all that is necessary to keep that
    relationship strong.
        Yet, our ties go deeper than trade. Our community of values reaches
    back centuries. Canada and the U.S. may have disagreed on the wisdom of
    separating from the Crown, but we've always agreed on the great
    principles of liberty derived from our common heritage. We believe in
    the dignity of every human life, and we believe in the right of every
    person to live in freedom. We believe in free markets, humanized by
    compassion and fairness. We believe a diverse society can also be united
    by principles of justice and equality. The values we hold have made us
    good neighbors for centuries, and they will keep us as strong allies and
    good friends for the centuries to come.
        These shared convictions have also led our great democracies to
    accept a mission in the wider world. We know it is not possible to live
    in quiet isolation of our peaceful continent, hoping the problems and
    challenges of other nations will pass us by. We know there can be no
    security, no lasting peace in a world where proliferation and terrorism
    and genocide and extreme poverty go unopposed.
        We know that our own interests are served by an international system
    that advances human rights and open societies and free trade and the
    rule of law and the hope that comes from self-government. Both Canada
    and the United States have accepted important global duties, and we will
    meet those responsibilities for our own benefit and for the good of
    mankind.
        Canada's leadership is helping to build a better world. Over the
    past decade, Canadian troops have helped bring stability to Bosnia and
    Kosovo. Canada's willingness to send peacekeepers to Haiti saved
    thousands of lives and helped save Haiti's constitutional government.
    Canadian troops are serving bravely in Afghanistan at this hour. Other
    Canadians stand on guard for peace in the Middle East, in Cyprus, Sudan,
    and the Congo.
        Just 2 weeks ago, NATO countries showed their esteem for your
    military by electing General Ray Henault as
    Chairman of NATO's Military Committee. This admiration for your armed
    forces goes way back and for good reason. It was said during World War
    I, ``The Canadians never budge.'' America respects the skill and honor
    and the sacrifice of Canadians' armed--Canada's armed forces.
        Our nations play independent roles in the world, yet our purposes
    are complementary. We have important work ahead. A new term in office is
    an important opportunity to reach out to our friends. I hope to foster a
    wide international consensus among three great goals. The first great
    commitment is to defend our security and spread freedom by building
    effective multinational and multilateral institutions and supporting
    effective multilateral action.
        The tasks of the 21st century, from fighting proliferation to
    fighting the scourge of HIV/AIDS to fighting poverty and hunger, cannot
    be accomplished by a single nation alone. The United States and Canada
    participate together in more multilateral institutions than perhaps any
    two nations on Earth, from NATO in Europe to the OAS in the Western
    Hemisphere to APEC in the Pacific. Canada and the United States are
    working with a coalition of nations through the Proliferation Security
    Initiative to stop and seize shipments of weapons

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    of mass destruction materials and delivery systems on land and at sea
    and in the air.
        America always prefers to act with allies at our side, and we're
    grateful to Canada for working closely with us to confront the
    challenges of Iran and North Korea. Multilateral organizations can do
    great good in the world.
        Yet, the success of multilateralism is measured not merely by
    following a process but by achieving results. The objective of the U.N.
    and other institutions must be collective security, not endless debate.
    For the sake of peace, when those bodies promise serious consequences,
    serious consequences must follow. America and Canada helped create the
    United Nations, and because we remain committed to that institution, we
    want it to be more than a League of Nations.
        My country is determined to work as far as possible within the
    framework of international organizations, and we're hoping that other
    nations will work with us to make those institutions more relevant and
    more effective in meeting the unique threats of our time.
        Our second commitment is to fight global terrorism with every action
    and resource the task requires. Canada has taken a series of critical
    steps to guard against the danger of terrorism. You created the
    Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. You've toughened
    your antiterror laws. You're upgrading your intelligence. I want to
    thank the Government for all those constructive and important decisions.
        Our two countries are working together every day--every day--to keep
    our people safe. That is the most solemn duty I have and the most solemn
    duty the Prime Minister has. From the Smart
    Border accord to the Container Security Initiative to the joint command
    of NORAD, we are working together. I hope we'll also move forward on
    ballistic missile defense cooperation to protect the next generation of
    Canadians and Americans from the threats we know will arise.
        The energetic defense of our nations is an important duty. Yet,
    defense alone is not a sufficient strategy. On September the 11th, the
    people of North America learned that two vast oceans and friendly
    neighbors cannot fully shield us from the dangers of the 21st century.
    There's only one way to deal with enemies who plot in secret and set out
    to murder the innocent and the unsuspecting: We must take the fight to
    them. We must be relentless and we must be steadfast in our duty to
    protect our people.
        Both of the countries have learned this lesson. In the early days of
    World War II, when the United States was still wrestling with
    isolationism, Canadian forces were already engaging the enemies of
    freedom from the Atlantic--across the Atlantic. At the time, some
    Canadians argued that Canada had not been attacked and had no interest
    in fighting a distant war. Your Prime Minister, McKenzie King, gave this
    answer: ``We cannot defend our country and save our homes and families
    by waiting for the enemy to attack us. To remain on the defensive is the
    surest way to bring the war to Canada. Of course, we should protect our
    coasts and strengthen our ports and cities against attack,'' but the
    Prime Minister went on to say, ``we must also go out and meet the enemy
    before he reaches our shores. We must defeat him before he attacks us,
    before our cities are laid to waste.'' McKenzie King was correct then,
    and we must always remember the wisdom of his words today.
        In the new era, the threat is different, but our duties are the
    same. Our enemies have declared their intentions, and so have we.
    Peaceful nations must keep the peace by going after the terrorists and
    disrupting their plans and cutting off their funding. We must hold the
    sponsors of terror equally responsible for terrorist acts. We must
    prevent outlaw regimes from gaining weapons of mass destruction and
    providing them to terrorists. We must stay at these efforts with
    patience and resolve until we prevail.

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        Our third great commitment is to enhance our own security by
    promoting freedom and hope and democracy in the broader Middle East. The
    United States and Canada and all free nations need to look ahead. If, 20
    years from now, the Middle East is dominated by dictators and mullahs
    who build weapons of mass destruction and harbor terrorists, our
    children and our grandchildren will live in a nightmare world of danger.
    That must not happen.
        By taking the side of reformers and democrats in the Middle East, we
    will gain allies in the war on terror and isolate the ideology of murder
    and help to defeat the despair and hopelessness that feeds terror. The
    world will become a much safer place as democracy advances.
        For decades of tyranny and neglect in the broader Middle East,
    progress toward freedom will not come easily. I know that. Yet, it is
    cultural condescension to claim that some peoples or some cultures or
    some religions are destined to despotism and unsuited for self-
    government.
        Today in the Middle East, the doubters and pessimists are being
    proven wrong. We're seeing movement toward elections and greater rights
    for women and open discussion of peaceful reform. I believe that people
    across the Middle East are weary of poverty and oppression and plead in
    silence for their liberty. I believe this is an historic moment in the
    broader Middle East, and we must seize this moment by standing with
    everyone who stands for liberty.
        We're standing with the people of Afghanistan, a nation that has
    gone from a safe haven for terrorists to a steadfast ally in the war on
    terror in 3\1/2\ short years. Canada deployed more than 7,000 troops and
    much of your navy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This year,
    your country has led the International Security Assistance Force in
    Kabul. The coalition we share is doing honorable work, yet democracy is
    taking hold in that country because the Afghan people, like people
    everywhere, want to live in freedom. They registered by the millions to
    vote in October. They stood in long lines on election day. An Afghan
    widow brought all four of her daughters to vote alongside her. She said,
    ``When you see women here lined up to vote, this is something profound.
    I never dreamed this day would come.'' But that woman's dream finally
    arrived, as it will one day across the Middle East. These are
    unprecedented, historic events that many said would never come, and
    Canadians can be proud of the part you have played in the advance of
    human liberty.
        We must also stand with the brave people of Iraq, who are preparing
    for elections on January the 30th. Sometimes, even the closest of
    friends disagree. And 2 years ago, we disagreed about the best course of
    action in Iraq. Yet, as your Prime Minister made
    clear in Washington earlier this year, there is no disagreement at all
    with what has to be done in going forward. We must help the Iraqi people
    secure their country and build a free and democratic society. The
    Canadian Government has pledged more than $200 million in humanitarian
    aid and reconstruction assistance and agreed to relieve more than $450
    million in Iraqi debt. That help is greatly appreciated.
        There's more work to be done together. Both Canada and the United
    States and all free nations have a vital interest in the success of a
    free Iraq. The terrorists have made Iraq the central front in the war on
    terror because they know what is at stake. When a free and democratic
    society is established in Iraq, in the heart of the Middle East, it will
    be a decisive blow to their aspirations to dominate the region and its
    people. A free Iraq will be a standing rebuke to radicalism and a model
    to reformers from Damascus to Tehran.
        In Fallujah and elsewhere, our coalition and Iraqi forces are on the
    offensive, and we are delivering a message: Freedom, not oppression, is
    the future of Iraq. Freedom is a precious right for every individual,
    regardless of the color of their skin or the

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    religion they may hold. A long night of terror and tyranny in that
    region is ending, and a new day of freedom and hope and self-government
    is on the way.
        And we will stand with the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and help
    end the destructive conflict between them. Prime Minister Martin has expressed the desire of his Government to take a
    broader role in the quest for peace and democracy, and America welcomes
    your involvement. It's a time of change and a time of hope in that
    region.
        We seek justice and dignity and a viable independent and democratic
    state for the Palestinian people. We seek security and peace for the
    state of Israel, a state that Canada, like America, first recognized in
    1948. These are worthy goals in themselves, and by reaching them, we
    will also remove an excuse for hatred and violence in the broader Middle
    East.
        Achieving peace in the Holy Land is not just a matter of pressuring
    one side or the other on the shape of a border or the site of a
    settlement. This approach has been tried before, without success. As we
    negotiate the details of peace, we must look to the heart of the matter,
    which is the need for a Palestinian democracy. The Palestinian people
    deserve a peaceful government that truly serves their interests, and the
    Israeli people need a true partner in peace.
        Our destination is clear, two states, Israel and Palestine, living
    side by side in peace and security. And that destination can be reached
    by only one path, the path of democracy and reform and the rule of law.
    If all parties will apply effort, if all nations who are concerned about
    this issue will apply good will, this conflict can end and peace can be
    achieved. And the time for that effort and the time for that good will
    is now.
        The United States and Canada face common threats in our world, and
    we share common goals that can transform our world. We're bound by
    history and geography and trade and by our deepest convictions. With so
    much in common and so much at stake, we cannot be divided. I realize and
    many Americans realize that it's not always easy to sleep next to the
    elephant. [Laughter] Sometimes, our laws and our actions affect Canada
    every bit as much as they affect us, and we need to remember that. And
    when frustrations are vented, we must not take it personally. As a
    member of Canada's Parliament said in the 1960s, ``The United States is
    our friend, whether we like it or not.'' [Laughter] When all is said and
    done, we are friends, and we like it.
        Three years ago, when the American planes were diverted away from
    home, passengers knew they were safe and welcome the moment they saw the
    Maple Leaf flag. One of them later said of the Canadians he met, ``They
    taught me the meaning of the word `friend.' '' For generations, the
    nation of Canada has defined the word ``friend,'' and my country is
    grateful.
        God has blessed America in many ways. God has blessed us because we
    have neighbors like you. And today I ask that God continues to bless the
    people of Canada.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at noon at Pier 21. In his remarks, he
    referred to Prime Minister Paul Martin of Canada and his wife, Sheila;
    Premier John Frederick Hamm of Nova Scotia, Canada; Premier Bernard Lord
    of New Brunswick, Canada; Premier Patrick G. Binns of Prince Edward
    Island, Canada; and Premier Danny Williams of Newfoundland, Canada.

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